as in to confess
to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid
had a strong suspicion about which coworker stole her food from the office fridge, but the likely culprit refused to own up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for own (up)
Verb
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He was arrested at the home and later confessed to killing Eric, a student at Florida International University.—
March 30,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026 -
In opening statements, prosecutors laid out the details of the attack and said Gerhardt Konig confessed to his 19-year-old son in a FaceTime conversation.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The administration has also sought to restrict work permits for asylum-seekers and to reexamine the cases of legal refugees admitted under the Biden administration.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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The motion alleges that the court made a mistake in admitting a statement made by Herrera to law enforcement officers during the investigation and allowing certain evidence to be permitted, according to court documents.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee
March 29,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Own (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/own%20%28up%29. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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